NSW to expand e-voting

Scytl identified as preferred vendor

New South Wales is set to expand the footprint of electronic voting in its state election, due in 2015, with Spanish vendor Scytl reportedly on the brink of signing a new contract with the state government.

Scytl's Java-based electoral software already has a footprint in NSW, since it formed the basis of the state's iVote system introduced in the 2011 state election to provide an accessible platform for groups such as the visually-impaired.

iVote allowed registered citizens to cast votes either by telephone or over the Internet. After the voter was verified and a valid ballot received, the vote is printed out anonymously and included in the manual count.

Late last year, the NSW Electoral Commission issued a tender for expanding the iVote system. At that time, Scytl was identified as being shortlisted, along with Netherlands vendor Smartmatic and Victorian company Everyone Counts.

Now, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Scytl has been offered the contract and is in final negotiations with the government. ®